The new trailer for the live-action version of “Beauty and the Beast” has us hearkening back to the animated classic and our first introduction to our beloved, book-ensconced Belle.
So while we wait for a deeper glimpse into the fantastic library scenery of this new adaptation, we can also look to our own shelves for fairy-tale retellings that resonate with the thrill of timeless stories.
Read on for our picks of novels new and old inspired by classic folk and fairy tales.
School may be coming to a close, but as summer starts we want to echo Mr. Bennet’s encouragement to READ ON! 
Okay, so that line isn’t in the book, but it is in the BBC miniseries, and that’s the best adaptation. And it’s totally within Mr. B’s bibliophile nature as something to say. Always looking for a peaceful moment in which to read his book; could Mr. Bennet be the most relatable character in Jane Austen’s works?
In any case, as you encourage your students to take on summer as a season of reading, you can fulfill your Summer Reading list with books from Adams Book Company! Here is a list of all kinds of books that would be great for summer reading.
A Lesson Before Dying, Angela’s Ashes, 1984, Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Cold Mountain, Friday Night Lights, Great Expectations, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, The Bean Trees, The Color Purple, The Joy Luck Club, The Kite Runner, The Road, The Tiger’s Wife, Fast Food Nation, The Alchemist, Salvage the Bones, The Beautiful Struggle, How to Read Literature like a Professor
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Spring break is a great opportunity to pick up that book you have been meaning to for months. It’s also a great opportunity for educators to suggest books to their students, not as mandatory reading, but as recommended reading geared towards that specific student.
It’s sometimes a daunting task to pick a book for a student. Will they like it? What if they dislike it so much that it puts them off reading? Though understandable concerns, whether the child likes or dislikes a book will make for a great discussion after the break. Plus, talking about a book is just as wonderful as reading one. Read on for picks from Middle Reader Novels, Beloved Classics, Movie Tie-Ins, and YA Fantasy…
Based on a true story, “Between Two Worlds” by Katherine Kirkpatrick is a novel of Arctic exploration told from a young Inuit point of view. Author of the “Indian in the Cupboard” series, Lynne Reid Banks, tells a story informed by her own experiences of leaving WWII England for Canada in “Uprooted”.
 Between Two Worlds |
 Odin’s Ravens |
 Uprooted |
 Navigating Early |
 Egg and Spoon |
 The Mysterious Woods of Whistle Root |
 Paperboy |
 Love by the Morning Star |
 Mister Max |
 Joshua Dread |
 The Key & the Flame |
 Just Ella |
Series are great when you find a story and characters you love, and they’ve always been a great way to keep kids reading. L.M. Montgomery kept young readers happy with nine “Anne of Green Gables” novels, starting in 1908. Those books have a refreshed look with lovely new cut paper cover designs. Perennial favorite Sherlock Holmes also gets a handy repackaging with an edition that collects the timeless novel-length stories.
 Sherlock Holmes: The Novels |
 The Pushcart War |
 Wild Jack |
 Rainbow Valley |
 Fifteen Rabbits |
 The Wednesday Witch |
This year’s blockbusters draw on both literature and nonfiction. Nathaniel Philbrick’s “In the Heart of the Sea,” which reexamines the real-life disaster that inspired “Moby Dick,” is now not only adapted into a feature film, but is also available in a new edition for young readers.
No waiting: If you get hooked on a series by starting with the paperback, the next book is already available in hardcover!
As the official Teacher Appreciation Week 2015 comes to a close, let’s not forget our appreciation for teachers throughout the year: all the work they do for their kids every day, and for the future strength of their profession.
In the mean time, to celebrate the week, what better way to wrap it up than with a custom party playlist? Here is the perfect soundtrack to the end of Teacher Appreciation Week — if these songs existed.
“(I Can’t Get No) Appreciation” by the Roll-Call Stones
“Appreciation” by Skool & the Gang
“A Little Help from my Friends” by Sgt. Paper’s Folded Hearts Club Band
“Should I Stay and Work or Should I Go Home and Work” by The Class
“I’m Gonna Meet (500 Goals)” by The Protractors
“Love Stats” by the Bring-#2s
“Sit Down Alright” by PD and the Summertime Band
“In Data Club” by 50 perCent
“I Love Taking Roll” by Joan Jetta and the Checkmarks
“Pass Your Class” by Ink
“Lesson ‘n a Prayer” by Blend Jovi
“Teach Me How to, Mr. Dougie” by California School District
“This is How We Do It” by Model Jordan
“Holla Back, Girl” by Engage Stefani
“Single Spacies (Put a Grade on it)” by BYOD-oncé
“D,C,B,A.” by the Valued People
“The Test” by Bubble Checker
“Grade That Funky Rubric” by Filed Cherry
“Slips Don’t Lie” by School-kira
“Assessment Back” by Justin Timeforbreak
Some of those were okay, right? Can you think of some other occasion-specific song titles for a Teacher Appreciation Week wrap party?
April is National Poetry Month, and poetry is a great tool for teaching English Language Learners.
As a form that intentionally slows down in order to explore language, poetry provides a context appropriate for many levels of readers to learn phonics, structure, and oral fluency. Also, blended language, especially Spanish and English, is a favorite device of many poets, offering ELLs familiar vocabulary and a different level of interest.
In the book list below, there are not only poetry collections, but also evocative novels in verse addressing the immigrant experience or culture relevant to ELLs.
Search for more poetry or nonfiction or textbooks at www.adamsbook.com. And, if you want more ELL resources, you should check out our ELL Pinterest board.
This month, as teachers nationwide work to include highlights of African American history in their lesson plans, they are also challenged to make sure that themes of diversity and integration are carried through the curriculum year-round.
Schools, more than any other outlet, have perhaps the best opportunity to emphasize that black history is one and the same as American history — as encouraged in these reminders from Teaching Tolerance’s “Do’s and Don’ts of Black History Month.” Otherwise, February will remain the way it’s satirized in former Onion staffer Baratunde Thurston‘s book How to Be Black. Thurston writes “odds are high that you acquired this book during the nationally sanctioned season for purchasing black cultural objects, also known as Black History Month,” going on to suggest other ways the reader can celebrate the month.
We hope our list of books for Black History Month goes beyond February and offers some new sources that teachers will find useful year-round in “shifting the lens” — adding depth and relevance to historical events and periods by beginning with minority perspectives.
Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with the best books by or about the great civil rights leader. There are biographies, in-depth histories, collections of Dr. King’s words, and books to engage young readers. Below is a sample of books that can help students understand King’s monumental work and connect it with the continued efforts for justice and peace needed today.
Banned Books Week is the national book community’s annual celebration of the freedom to read and battle censorship. The National Council of Teachers of English provides resources for teachers facing challenges to works used in their classrooms. They’ve also compiled a list of titles that have been challenged between 2004 and 2013. We’ve highlighted just a few of those that are popular classroom reads:
Fig. 1. This graph shows the number of book challenges from 2000-2005 and the most popular reasons for the challenges. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The ACT is growing into the most preferred entrance exam by colleges and universities across the country. Adams Book Company has compiled a list of preparation manuals, practice tests books, and flashcards for your classroom. FREE shipping with use of code ACT36.*
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